Video Game Vintage Title: God Of War III

God Of War III

God of War III is a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment . First released for the PlayStation 3 console on March 16, 2010, the game is the fifth installment in the God of War series, the seventh and final chronologically, and the sequel to God of War and God of War II. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in Ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist, Kratos, the former God of War, after his betrayal by his father Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods. Reigniting the Great War, Kratos ascends Mount Olympus with his initial allies, the Titans, until he is abandoned by Gaia. Now guided by the spirit of Athena to search for the Flame of Olympus, Kratos battles monsters, gods, and Titans in a search for Pandora, the key to pacifying the Flame surrounding Pandora's Box, and to defeat Zeus. Successful, Kratos kills Zeus and ends the reign of the Olympian Gods.

The gameplay is similar to the previous installments, and focuses on combo-based combat, achieved through the player's main weapon�the Blades of Exile�and secondary weapons acquired later. It features quick time events that require the player to complete various game controller actions in a timed sequence to defeat stronger enemies and bosses. The player can use up to four magical attacks and a power-enhancing ability as alternative combat options. The game also features puzzles and platforming elements. In addition to its similar gameplay, it features a revamped magic system, an increase in the number of onscreen enemies, further interaction with the environment, new camera angles, and downloadable content.

A critical and commercial success, PSM3 magazine claimed that God of War III is "simply one of the best games of all time." IGN asserted that it defines the word "scale" with reference to video games. The game has been highly praised for its graphics, particularly Kratos, with IGN claiming the character "is perhaps the single most impressive-looking character ever in video games." It received several awards, including "Most Anticipated Game of 2010" and "Best PS3 Game" at the 2009 and 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, respectively. It was also honored with the "Artistic Achievement" award at the 2011 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Video Game Awards. The best-selling game in the God of War series, it sold nearly 5.2 million copies worldwide by June 2012, and it was included in the God of War Saga that was released on August 28, 2012, also for the PlayStation 3.

God Of War III Plot

Continuing immediately on from God of War II, Kratos, Gaia, and the other Titans ascend Mount Olympus to destroy the Olympian Gods. Launching a counter-assault against the Titans, Poseidon is killed by the combined efforts of Kratos and Gaia; his death causes the oceans to flood. Reaching Olympus' peak, Kratos and Gaia attempt to attack Zeus but are driven back and fall from the mountain. Gaia clings to the side of the mountain and refuses to save Kratos, saying he was nothing more than a pawn.

Falling into the Underworld and losing the Blade of Olympus, Kratos lands in the River Styx as the souls of the Underworld weaken him and ruin the Blades of Athena. After leaving the river, he is confronted by the revived spirit of Athena, who provides him with the Blades of Exile, and says that to destroy Zeus, he must quell the Flame of Olympus. Eventually finding the Three Judges of the Underworld and the Chain of Balance which maintains the equilibrium between the Underworld and Olympus, Kratos has a brief conversation with the spirit of Pandora. Soon after encountering the Olympian blacksmith Hephaestus and recovering the Blade of Olympus, he kills Hades, whose death releases the souls of the Underworld and exacerbates the chaos caused by Kratos' assault on Olympus. Leaving the Underworld, Kratos travels to Olympia, where he finds the wounded Gaia. Ignoring Gaia's call for help, he severs her arm, causing her to fall from Mount Olympus to her apparent death.

As Kratos continues his ascent, he overcomes various foes, including the Titan Perses and the god Helios; the latter's death blots out the sun, causing worldwide darkness and storms. Encountering Hermes, who mocks Kratos, the Spartan chases after the god, which leads him to the Chamber of the Flame. Learning that Pandora's Box is again key to the success of his quest, Athena informs Kratos that the Flame of Olympus surrounding the box can only be quelled by its namesake. Continuing his chase of Hermes, Kratos catches him and kills the overconfident god; his death releases a plague on the world. Reaching the Forum, Kratos has an audience with the drunken goddess Hera, who disregards Kratos' request for Pandora's location. She then calls upon the demigod Hercules, who discusses his jealousy of his half-brother. Hercules then attacks Kratos, but is killed. Using the Hyperion Gate in Aphrodite's chamber, Kratos travels to Tartarus, where he is forced to kill Cronos and Hephaestus. Reusing the Hyperion Gate, the Spartan travels through Hera's Gardens, where he kills the taunting goddess, whose death ends all plant life. He then returns to the Labyrinth to find Pandora.

Meeting the imprisoned Daedalus, the architect instructs Kratos to unite the Labyrinth. After doing so, he fights his way through the puzzle and rescues Pandora. She then instructs him to break the Chain of Balance, so the Labyrinth can be raised and she can reach Pandora's Box. Neutralizing the Three Judges and breaking the Chain, Kratos raises the Labyrinth and Pandora tries to enter the Flame of Olympus. Zeus intervenes, but after a brief battle, Pandora sacrifices herself, despite Kratos' protests, and quenches the Flame. The Spartan discovers Pandora's Box is empty, and battles Zeus again. Gaia returns and tries to kill the pair; both escape through a gaping wound in her neck, where the two continue their battle. Gaia is killed when Kratos impales Zeus against the Titan's heart with the Blade of Olympus, an act which apparently also kills Zeus. Kratos recovers the Blade and starts to leave, but is then attacked by Zeus' spirit. Losing consciousness, he is saved by Pandora during a journey into his own psyche. With the help of his wife Lysandra, Kratos forgives himself for his past sins, regains consciousness, and beats Zeus to death.

Athena reappears, demanding that Kratos return what he apparently took from Pandora's Box. Kratos says the box was empty, which Athena refuses to believe. She explains that when Zeus sealed the evils of the world�greed, fear, and hate�in the box, she foresaw that it would eventually be opened and placed her own power�hope�in the box. Athena then realizes that when Kratos opened the Box to defeat Ares, the evils escaped and infected the Olympian gods, while Kratos was imbued with hope. The goddess demands that Kratos return her power, saying that she knows how to use it to rebuild the world. Not trusting Athena, Kratos refuses, saying that he is avenged and impales himself with the Blade of Olympus, releasing hope's power for all mankind. An angry Athena pulls the sword from Kratos, saying that he has disappointed her. Kratos, near death, collapses as Athena departs.

In a post-credits scene, a trail of blood is shown leading away from an abandoned Blade of Olympus, leaving Kratos' final fate unknown.

God Of War III Gameplay

The gameplay of God of War III is similar to that of its predecessors. It is a third-person single player video game viewed from a fixed camera perspective. The game also features a first-person camera view during two boss battles (a first for the series). The player controls the character Kratos in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements, and battles foes who primarily stem from Greek mythology, including centaurs, harpies, chimeras, cyclopes, satyrs, minotaurs, sirens, cerberuses, and Gorgons. Other enemies were created specifically for the game, including wraiths, stone and bronze talos, lost souls, and the Olympian army, including sentries, legionnaires, archers, fiends, guardians, and sentinels. Platforming elements require the player to climb walls and ladders, jump across chasms, and swinging on ropes to proceed through sections of the game. Some puzzles are simple, such as moving a box so that the player can use it as a jumping-off point to access a pathway unreachable with normal jumping, but others are more complex, such as finding several items across different areas of the game to unlock one door.

The player finds chests colored green, blue, red, or white, and each chest contains orbs or the corresponding color. Green orbs replenish the player's health, blue orbs replenish magic allowing further usage, red orbs provide experience for upgrading weapons�which subsequently upgrades magic and makes new, more-powerful attacks available�and white orbs (replacing the gold orbs in God of War II) replenish the Rage meter for the Rage of Sparta, allowing further usage of the ability. The player also collects red orbs by killing foes and destroying certain inanimate objects. As in the previous games, the player can also find Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers in large chests, as well as Minotaur Horns, a new item for the game. The Eyes, Feathers, and Horns increase the length of the Health, Magic, and Item meters respectively; finding twelve of an item maximizes a meter and the player's power.

SettingAs with the previous games in the God of War franchise, God of War III is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece populated by the Olympian Gods, Titans, heroes, and other beings from Greek mythology. The game features several locations across the fictional Mount Olympus, including the Tomb of Ares, a fictional version of the real world ancient city of Olympia, the Path of Eos, the Labyrinth, various locations within the Palace of the Gods, such as the Forum and Hera's Gardens, and scenes in the Underworld and Tartarus.

Mount Olympus is the home of the Olympian Gods. The Tomb of Ares, holding the former God of War's remains, and the city of Olympia are located on the sides of the mountain. Just beyond the city is the Path of Eos: a hidden cavern near the foot of Mount Olympus. The Palace of the Gods is the massive home of the Olympians, and features the Forum (a small coliseum), Hera's Gardens, and the chambers of Aphrodite and Poseidon, respectively. The Labyrinth is a massive, aerial puzzle constructed by the architect Daedalus to imprison Pandora and is located in the Caverns of Olympus, which is home to the creature Skorpius and its spawn. The Underworld, divided by the River Styx, is the realm of the dead and is ruled over by the god Hades. Hades' palace holds the remains of wife and goddess Persephone. The Underworld is also home to the statues of the three Judges of the Underworld, who hold the Chain of Balance that connects the Underworld to Olympus. Tartarus is the prison of the dead and also the Titan Cronos�banished when Kratos retrieved Pandora's Box from Pandora's Temple, which is still chained to Cronos' back.